Curriculum Vitae

My research interests are in Systems Neuroscience, especially in understanding the neural basis of cognition and behavior by studying processing at the cellular and network level in neuronal circuits of the brain. I am primarily interested in understanding how multiple brain regions coordinate activity to form representations of the external world, learn new experiences, store and retrieve memories, and make decisions. These processes are the key to understanding cognition and behavior, and will provide crucial insight into several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

My lab is currently investigating the neural basis of how two critical brain regions, the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, interact and communicate with each other to support learning and memory-guided decision making. The hippocampus is known to be critical for episodic memories, and the prefrontal cortex is involved in executive control, working memory and decision making. It is critical to understand how these two regions act in concert to support learning, form memories, make decisions and guide behavior. This will provide a crucial basis for addressing the numerous neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders involving these two regions, such as Alzheimers, demetia, depression and schizophrenia.